


Showered with Affection

by AMidnightDreary, Rabentochter



Series: Frostiron Advent Calendar 2019 [25]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Attempted Seduction, Avenger Loki (Marvel), Domestic, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Humor, M/M, Masturbation, Minor Injuries, Mutual Pining, Post-Avengers (2012), Resolved Sexual Tension, Sexual Tension, Shower Sex, Sweet, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Sings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:34:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22255765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMidnightDreary/pseuds/AMidnightDreary, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabentochter/pseuds/Rabentochter
Summary: Five times Tony used Loki's shower and one time Loki joined him.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Series: Frostiron Advent Calendar 2019 [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558924
Comments: 42
Kudos: 392





	Showered with Affection

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry not sorry to everyone who can't stand our fics, here is another one! We hope you like it! ❤

**1**

Recently, Loki has become fond of studying the pros and cons of many things. He keeps lots of lists in his head, lists like _pros and cons of entering the community kitchen before seven am,_ or _pros and cons of American reality TV,_ or _pros and cons of overthrowing Odin and making him live in an old people's home somewhere, maybe in Oklahoma._

The latter list is Loki's favorite, because he can't think of any cons.

Right now, Loki is setting up a new list in his mind: _pros and cons of Anthony Edward Stark showering in my private bathroom._

The cons: There is someone in Loki's private bathroom even though Loki does not want anyone to be anywhere near his private bathroom. Apparently the magical wards he put into place are not working as they should. Stark is using Loki's shampoo. There is someone in Loki's private bathroom. Stark sings while he showers, deliberately out of tune. His underwear is lying around on the floor, just like the rest of his clothes. _There is someone in Loki's private bathroom._

The pros: The sight.

Loki swallows thickly. He is not entirely sure how long he has been standing here now, frozen in place between the door frame. Loki has no idea how Stark even got here without Loki noticing. They came out of a battle barely half an hour ago, and Loki didn't want anything more than to take off his armor, have a nice shower and then curl up on his sofa with a cup of tea and a book.

He knows that he should move, that he should have thrown Stark out minutes ago, that he cannot just _let_ him shower here. But the problem with that is this: the sight really _is_ very nice. 

_Pros and cons of watching Anthony Edward Stark shower in my private bathroom..._

Ah, no. Loki is too distracted to think about that properly. And anyway, the view speaks for itself, and Loki is already watching despite any possible cons. The glass is a little foggy, but he can see well enough. He watches as Stark runs his fingers through his wet hair, the brown almost-curls wet and foamy, plastered to his head. Water dripping down his neck, down his spine, the muscles of his shoulders moving while his hands wander lower to wash his upper body. The curve of his backside; gods, those cheeks would fit just _perfectly_ into Loki's hands -

_No._

“Stark, _what_ are you doing here?”

Stark curses and almost slips on the wet tiles when he spins around. He stares at Loki, the water still pouring down on him, and Loki forces himself to keep looking into the other's eyes instead of at… certain other things.

“ _Loki?!”_ Stark all but shouts, already fumbling around with the faucet to turn the water off. He manages after one or two seconds, and then it's awfully silent in the room, until - “You know, not that I mind, but what exactly are you doing here?”

Sometimes Loki has trouble believing that this man is the most intelligent human Loki knows. “Stark. This is my bathroom.”

Stark stares at him. “Oh.”

“This is _my_ shower.”

“ _Oh.”_ Stark blinks slowly, his confusion disappearing. “Ah. Oops.”

A few seconds pass. Loki uses them to express his general discontentment with their current situation by looking at Stark with as little amusement as possible.

“Anyway,” Stark says after a moment. He slides the shower door open and leans out, grinning at Loki in a way that is much more alluring than it should be. “Now that I'm here - wanna join?”

A part of Loki wants to say yes. That part is distracted by the frontal view of Stark's still wet body, and by the idea of Loki's pale hands on that tanned skin, following the water with his fingertips, tracing the curved lines of hip bones, touching _everything_ he can see.

Thankfully, Loki's brain is still in control of his tongue, so he raises his brows and says, “How droll.”

Stark's grin widens in a way that makes Loki want to kiss it right off his lips. “Is that a yes?”

“ _No._ Now, if you don't mind, leave my floor or I will _make_ you leave.”

“Are you sure? Because let me tell you, I give _legendary_ backrubs -”

Loki waves his hand, and Stark is gone. In his own bathroom now, in his own shower. Loki swallows again and stares at Stark's clothes for a few seconds before he makes vanish as well.

He thinks about it later, of course. Not even much later, just - a few minutes. He thinks about it after he took a deep breath and told himself to forget it, and he thinks about it when he takes off his own clothes and steps into the shower himself. Slipping under the rain of hot water, Loki _wishes_ he had said yes.

He could have. Loki isn't _blind;_ he has long noticed how Stark looks at him. How his eyes wander over Loki's body every now and then, how they watch him fight with a little too much fascination in them. His smirks bordering on being leers - so much more alluring then they should be -, lips already parted, the tip of his tongue sliding over them just briefly. 

He'd have looked at Loki like that if he had said yes. Maybe his eyes would have gone a little wide in pleasant surprise; surprise because he'd wanted it so much but hadn't actually _thought_ Loki would agree, but Loki - Loki does agree, and he vanishes his clothes with less than a thought before he joins Stark - joins Anthony in the shower. _Anthony._

Loki closes his eyes. Clenches his jaw to keep any sound that might want to pass his lips inside, even though there is nobody with him who could hear him. Loki can _imagine_ that, though; he is very good at imagining things, and he almost feels it. Feels the wet tiles under his hands, warmed up a little by the hot water, he touches the tiles because he presses Anthony against them, presses him against them with his own body, and he _kisses_ him - Anthony is still smirking at him just like he always does, and maybe he doesn't even stop when they kiss, but he _does_ gasp. Loki knows how a gasp like that could sound; he has fought at Anthony's side, has sparred with him often enough, he _has_ heard him gasp. What would it need to make him moan?

Loki thinks about that, about Anthony moaning into their kiss, into Loki's mouth, and belatedly realizes that he is already touching himself. He's more than half hard - _half hard_ was a thing when he watched Anthony earlier - and it's so easy to imagine that it's Anthony's hand touching him, squeezing between their wet bodies to wrap around Loki's cock and stroke him, those clever fingers. Loki has watched them work before. Watched them play piano, too - a party on the community floor of the tower, a party Loki only reluctantly attended; Tony Stark throwing his tie over his shoulder and sitting down flamboyantly to prove that _no, the grand piano is not just decoration -_

 _Gods,_ those hands would feel _perfect._ Loki was far too fascinated by them at that party already, and now he couldn't stop himself from imagining them on his body, how they would feel. A little calloused, maybe, but Loki doesn't mind that. No, he would like it, he _likes_ it, and he wants to touch Anthony in return, wants to hear and feel him moan against Loki's skin, his ragged breaths barely audible over the water pouring down on them. Loki pushes him up against the tiles, one knee between Anthony's legs, mouthing at his throat and holding onto him, stroking him, while Anthony's hands - what are they doing?

Loki leans against the tiles, eyes pinched shut. He forces his hand to go a little slower and thinks about Anthony's hands instead - one is still on Loki's cock, the other… holding onto Loki in return, nails digging into his arm, his shoulder, his back, maybe they will leave marks. Loki imagines that, seeing those red stripes on his body when they're done, imagines Anthony chuckling and saying something - something witty, no doubt, something charming, something that makes Loki want to smile at him. Loki wants to smile at him so badly, a barely there thing between uneven breaths when they are still in the shower, and he wants Anthony to smile back at him before his mouth goes slack with another moan, maybe a _whine_ \- the sound of that is too much.

It's his own hand that makes him come, of course, but for a few seconds Loki manages to convince himself that it isn't. But then he comes back to himself and wrinkles his nose as he washes his hand clean, and the fantasy is gone. It doesn't leave much behind, only self-disgust and a hint of shame.

This is not ideal.

**2**

The first time Loki saw Tony Stark - the first time he _really_ saw him, with a clear head and unclouded eyes, Loki lay in a crater that had been smashed into the floor of a certain penthouse by his own body, and Tony Stark smirked at him. Loki did not imagine that, the barely noticeable upward twitch of the human's lips, the glint of appreciation that had been so quickly overshadowed by exhaustion and sheer aversion.

_If it's all the same to you -_

Loki looks at Stark now, too. He looks at him while they sit in the middle of a groundbreakingly boring debrief led by dear Captain Rogers, and now Loki really sees what he might have already realized back then if he hadn't been distracted by other, much less pleasant things: Stark is too fascinating for his own good. Or for Loki's good. It's definitely not good for Loki.

He likes to watch Stark argue with Rogers. Actually, Loki likes to watch Stark argue in general, because he does it so beautifully. Stark can positively eliminate someone with just clever words and a cocky attitude, and Loki wouldn't be Loki if he didn't appreciate that. He has mastered that particular art himself, and seeing someone who also excels in verbal fights as well as in physical ones is… fascinating indeed. 

Also, Stark is very nice to look at. Loki didn't only realize that now, of course, but now he does also know what is _beneath_ Stark's clothes, and that makes Stark even nicer to look at. The way he smiled at Loki makes him even more interesting. And while he _was_ interested in Stark before all this, now he is… well, starting to realize just how interested he is.

Ah, it's all a downward spiral. 

The next time it happens, Loki is not in a particularly good mood. Having to help the Avengers fight unimaginative people that do not even deserve to be called villains is _always_ annoying, but it is _especially_ annoying when Loki is about to prank someone just when the call comes. That was the case today, and now Thor even got injured in battle and won't be able to walk properly for a few days, so Loki's plan to put a stumbling spell on his brother's shoes is practically useless. Well, at least for now. He actually _invented_ that spell and put at least some amount of effort into it, so he can't just let it go to waste. He'll just have to wait a week or so. Naturally, he isn't very happy about that, and his mood doesn't improve when he enters his floor and hears _water running._

This time, Loki is clever. This time, he does not enter the bathroom and therefore will not see Stark naked again, because he knows that that would do nothing to help him get rid of that little _problem_ he's been having. What Loki does this time is stand in front of the bathroom door with crossed arms and counts down from five to one to calm himself, and then he changes the water temperature to _icy._

The startled yelp he hears in the exact same second is incredibly satisfying.

Loki listens to Stark stumble around and has to wait just a moment before the door opens. Sadly, his plan not to see Stark naked was apparently also useless, because Stark is not, in fact, dressed. He's still dripping wet, and the towel he's holding only shields his groin area from view.

Gods, this is not helping.

Loki's eyes take in the sight of Stark's body a second too long; Loki realizes that as soon as he looks in Stark's face again and finds himself confronted with a raised brow and a smirk.

Loki glares at him. “You have five seconds to explain _how_ you got here and _why.”_

“Five seconds? That's not very long, could we maybe -”

_“Stark.”_

“Alright, alright.” Stark has the gall to laugh. He wraps the towel around his hips and then runs a hand through his wet hair, which is also not helping. “Okay, look, it was not an accident this time, it's just - my shower's broken, and I'm waiting for a new one but something about the shipping went wrong and now I'm _still_ waiting, but I also need to shower, you know, especially after battles, and your floor is - I don't know if you noticed - your floor is closest to mine and you didn't kill me last time, so I figured it'd be okay if -”

“I could kill you this time,” Loki interrupts. “Very easily.”

“Right,” Stark says. He doesn't sound particularly bothered. “So that was the _why,_ now about the _how -”_

“Yes?”

“The elevator. I used the elevator. And then I walked here from the elevator. That's all there is to the _how.”_

Loki narrows his eyes. He is very good at telling when somebody is lying, and he is fairly sure that Stark is telling the truth. Which means that Loki's magic failed at keeping Stark out of Loki's rooms, which makes this even worse.

Stark leans against the doorframe and grins at Loki in a way that can only be described as lewd. “So,” he says, using the towel he should use to cover himself to _dry his hair._

The sight makes it hard for Loki to think properly; the towel is one of Loki’s own, after all, and naturally it’s green. Loki’s green. Loki _likes_ seeing Stark with that towel much more than he should.

Oblivious to Loki’s inner turmoil - ah, or maybe not _that_ oblivious, judging by his grin -, Stark continues, “Given that this is the second time we've found ourselves in this situation and I'm still not dead - my offer still stands, you know. The shower's big enough for two -”

This time, Loki sends Stark to that damned old people's home in Oklahoma. 

Ten minutes later, Loki's mobile phone rings. His first reaction is to glare at it, and his second reaction is to simply let it ring. That's what he usually does when someone calls him - or well, he probably would do it if anybody called him, that is. Nobody calls him, usually. He only has a phone because Stark felt personally insulted when Loki mentioned that he neither owns nor needs one. 

Now his phone _is_ ringing, though. And judging by the words on the screen - _Marion Crane -,_ he should not want to talk to the caller. He watched that movie on the team’s movie night, which either Thor or Stark forces him to attend every time, and Loki still had that damned music in his ears the few first times he showered after that. It was one of the few movies he actually enjoyed, and now he feels like Anthony noticed that. He also feels like he should have a word with JARVIS about the rudeness of hacking into other people’s phones to change a contact name, because Loki certainly didn’t change it himself.

Loki has been glaring at the phone for so long that the call goes to voicemail, but Stark doesn’t leave a message. No, he calls again, and this time Loki picks up. He immediately regrets it when there is someone shout-singing directly into his ear -

“ _OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNIN'! OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY! I'VE GOT A -”_

“Stark!”

_“- BEAUTIFUL FEELIN' EVERYTHING'S GOIN' MY -”_

“ _Stark!”_

Finally, Stark stops singing. He sounds like he is smirking when he says, “Serves you right for sending me to fucking Oklahoma. I nearly gave my dear friend Mrs. Durham a heart attack by appearing in her room in nothing but a towel.”

“He really did!” Loki hears an old lady shriek from somewhere in the background.

“I'm wearing her dressing gown now,” Stark continues cheerfully. “And I think it kinda suits me. I might stay a while, there's some bingo thing later -"

“Stark,” Loki interrupts. He is just staring tiredly into the air now, feeling like he brought this upon himself. “What do you want?”

There is a pause - a whispered “Out with it, boy!” can be heard from Mrs. Durham -, and Loki is on the brink of simply hanging up when Stark speaks up again.

“You know, I think I made that pretty clear. Maybe just think about it for a bit, and then -” Oh, he is just full on grinning now; Loki can tell. “Join me next time, maybe.”

“In Oklahoma?” Loki asks dryly. “No, thank you.”

Anthony laughs and hangs up.

**3**

Loki’s magic doesn’t fail him. It has never done so before, and Loki is not yet willing to admit that it _might_ be failing him now. Because it isn’t, it can’t be. It’s a part of Loki, and therefore it turning against him would be like turning against itself - it feels what Loki feels, needs what he needs, wants what he wants. There is no dividing line between them.

That explains everything, of course, but Loki is not yet willing to admit _that,_ either.

After the second time Stark entered Loki’s floor without permission, without even being noticed, Loki took a proper look at the wards he had set up. They should protect his rooms from everything and everyone and make it impossible to intrude, and first of all they should _alert_ Loki if anyone does so much as press the elevator button that will bring them up to Loki’s floor. 

And, funnily enough, the wards are all functioning flawlessly. Of course they are; it was Loki who crafted them. Not so funnily, they _do not work_ when it’s Stark who wants to enter. They failed at keeping him out twice now, and when it happens a third time, Loki is quite frankly losing his patience.

That also may have something to do with the fact that he just woke up, but anyway. He thinks that he has every right to be annoyed when he is woken up by someone showering and singing in his bathroom.

Loki stays where he is for more than just a moment, lying in his bed and staring at the ceiling. Wondering what he did to deserve this. Really, isn’t being forced to be an Avenger punishment enough? Apparently not, since he also has to endure that fascinating - annoying - _annoyingly fascinating_ human sneaking into his bathroom to shower and sing about dark temptation _at two am in the morning._

Wait.

Sing about what, exactly?

Loki listens up. His ears are good enough that he can hear every word Stark sings in the adjoining bathroom, and what he hears makes him swallow a little thickly -

_\- can’t you see, I’m calling_

_A guy like you should wear a warning_

_It’s dangerous, I’m falling -_

He doesn’t seem to know the whole lyrics of the song, or maybe he’s just busy washing himself, because he just mindlessly hums the next lines, then -

_Too high, can’t come down_

_Losin’ my head, spinning round and round_

_Do you feel me now?_

Oh. No. This is not good. Not good. Loki finds himself unable to move, can’t keep himself from listening. He knows that song. Living among humans for almost a year now, it’s hard not to know that song. Stark’s version is a slower than the original, and he just repeats the verses he remembers or likes in a way that’s cheerful but a little absent; he isn’t singing _for_ anyone. He’s just having fun and Loki - gods help him, but his half asleep brain enjoys this much more than it should.

Not to mention certain other body parts that are definitely not half asleep anymore.

He lets out a frustrated sound and rolls onto his side, resisting the urge to press a pillow on his ear. That wouldn’t help, anyway. He presses a hand down beneath his legs, squeezing his eyes shut, trying to get a grip on himself - ah, no, that pun’s horrible, but it _does_ feel good, and -

_Taste of your lips, I’m on a ride_

_You’re toxic, I’m slipping under_

_With a taste of poison paradise -_

Loki’s fingers slide into his pants so that he can take himself in hand properly, and he has to stifle a moan by turning his face into the pillow. No, this is definitely not good, but it _feels_ good, and Loki has never been one to resist temptation. Oh, he knows that he should stand up and get Stark out of his shower, but he can’t possibly do that as long as his arousal is so obvious as it is now, and apart from that - he also can’t enter the bathroom because Hel, he _wants_ it so much. And it would be so easy, taking the few steps and slipping out of his clothes. Slipping _into the shower_ to kiss that damned song right off Anthony’s lips and to hear him laugh both in happiness and triumph and then, finally, to be _kissed back -_

Loki can’t stop imagining that. He also can’t stop touching himself, even as Anthony keeps on singing when the water is already turned off. Loki thinks about him, drying his hair, sliding the towel over his body, and that image should not wreck Loki as absolutely as it does, but it does, it does, _it does._ He comes into his own hand, and Anthony is still singing -

_I’m addicted to you_

_Don’t you know that you’re toxic?_

Well, damn.

Alright, look. Loki isn’t stupid. Actually, he is the exact opposite of stupid. He has understood by now that what Stark is doing is nothing if not an invitation. But the thought that Stark might actually _want_ Loki, like in the song - it’s too much. Simply too much, too _good._ Loki does not want to deal with that. Stark is a _human_ , however annoyingly fascinating he might be, and he is an _Avenger,_ and Loki can’t - 

He can’t.

He waits until he hears the bathroom door close, then listens to the steps as they approach the bedroom door, only to stop in front of it just for a brief moment before moving into the opposite direction. He waits for the elevator to announce its arrival with a ping, but - well. That doesn’t happen. There is not even the softest ping to be heard, instead…

Oh, come on.

 _Instead_ Loki hears someone rummaging around in his kitchen.

That does make him get out of bed and dress himself, and not much later he is standing in the doorway of his kitchen and stares at Stark, who is standing up on tiptoes to examine the inside of Loki’s cupboards. He notices Loki, of course, but he doesn’t seem bothered by his presence. He just grins at him, so brightly that Loki’s heart skips a beat, which is so entirely ridiculous that Loki probably imagined it.

“Morning, Aurora. Did you really wake up just now? I’m a bit disappointed that you didn’t come to glare at me.”

Loki decides that ignoring _that_ is the best for his own mental health, so he says, “Have you ever heard of the act of respecting privacy, Stark?”

“No,” Stark replies. He finally found a pan and now places it on the stove. “Can’t say that I have. What about you?”

Loki stares as the human makes his way to the fridge. “What are you _doing_?”

“Making bacon. I like bacon. And eggs? Do you want eggs?”

When Loki doesn’t answer, Stark turns around to raise a brow at him. 

“Okay,” Stark says after a moment, shrugging. “Guess I’m making eggs, just so you can’t complain about the lack of them. There’s tea for you, by the way. I’ve no idea how long it has to,” he waves his hand, “steep. Simmer. Anyway -”

“Stark.”

Stark turns around again, two eggs in his hands. He leans against the counter and looks at Loki, apparently waiting. And Loki doesn’t know what to say. He even has trouble holding Stark’s gaze, has to force himself to _not_ think about what he did and imagined about ten minutes ago.

After a while, Stark sighs. Then he says, “You’ve been ignoring me.”

Loki can’t do anything but stare at him blankly. 

All of a sudden, Stark seems somewhat… nervous, almost.. He swallows and turns again to crack the eggs into the pan. “Look, I know I - apparently I’m making things weird? JARVIS thinks I’m maybe making things weird, but I’m not _blind;_ I’ve seen the way you look at me. But - I guess showers just aren’t your thing, huh?”

Loki feels lost. He doesn’t know what to say, hates that he has apparently been so obvious. “Why showers, anyway?” He manages to ask in the end, only to have something to say.

Stark shrugs again. “I kinda tried everything else? But all you’d do was _look,_ so I figured I’d need to do something a bit more drastic to get you to do something, but seems like I just managed to make you uncomfortable. Also, my shower really was broken that one time.”

Loki can’t quite keep up. He just keeps staring at Stark, who continues making breakfast as if it is the most normal thing in the world. Loki makes his way to the kitchen table, his feet moving on their own account, or possibly driven by his barely stifled want to get _closer._

“It wasn’t broken the first time,” Loki says eventually, relieved when his voice sounds as even as he planned. “And you didn’t use mine by accident, either.”

Stark throws a smirk in Loki’s vague direction, not quite meeting his eye. “I know my way around my own tower, Lokes. Of course it wasn’t an accident.” He throws some bacon into the pan as well and then pauses, looking back at Loki. “Did you even _notice_ that I’ve been flirting with you for like, this entire year?”

Loki looks back at him, feeling rather confused. “You flirt with everything that moves, Stark.”

“Eh, it’s how I communicate. But with you, it was -” He stops himself, clearing his throat. “ _Anyway._ I’m sorry for, uh. Singing Britney Spears in your shower. In the middle of the night. What time is it?”

Loki slowly sits down at the table. “Too early for breakfast.”

“Oh. Well, let’s be rebels and eat bacon and eggs, anyway. Loki, I _am_ sorry. If I made you uncomfortable.”

Loki shakes his head and rubs his eyes. He is still sleeping, isn’t he? This is a dream. A very, very odd dream he doesn’t particularly want to end. “My magic let you in. It wouldn’t have if I didn’t want you here.”

“Oh,” Anthony says. “ _Oh._ I - I did wonder why I could just walk in and out without losing a limb or two.”

“Yes, well,” Loki says.

It’s quiet for a moment, and it’s only a little awkward. Anthony places a mug with what smells like tea in front of Loki, who wraps his hands around it by instant, seeking the warmth. He watches with narrowed eyes as Anthony continues cooking, and eventually forces himself to break the silence.

“What do you want?”

Anthony snorts. “Right now? Nothing much. It’d be nice if you woke up properly and still let me stay, but honestly your sleepy confusion is kind of adorable, so it’s all good. And maybe - we can start again, yeah? Clean slate?”

Loki hums. He decides that it’s better not to point out that he isn’t just _sleepily confused,_ but utterly mystified. “Yes,” he says. “Fine.”

“Great.”

“I think your eggs are burning.”

“Oh, fuck.”

**4**

The next time, Anthony uses Loki’s shower with Loki’s permission. 

No, Loki is not entirely sure how that happens, either. He can blame it on Doctor Doom, though, which is nice because he doesn’t like Doctor Doom, anyway, and having more fuel for his dislike makes battling him with the Avengers a little more fun.

Battling Doctor Doom is _not_ fun when Anthony gets injured in the process, though.

Loki doesn’t see him get hit, but he does hear Anthony’s curses and pained over the comms, and while a few of the other Avengers call out Anthony’s name, Loki is already looking for his friend. (Yes, he considers Anthony his friend now, but shh. Loki has yet to admit that to himself, let alone to another living being.) He finds Anthony just as he brings the suit down to land on a roof, and teleports the last bit to get to Anthony faster. The human is still in his suit, but already sitting on the floor.

“Hey, Lo,” Anthony wheezes. “Nice day, huh? Di-did you notice how blue the sky is, it’s like -”

“Stop talking,” Loki advises him sharply and crouches in front of him, eyes fixed on the blade that is buried in Anthony’s side. A bit of blood is quelling out of the hole it left in the suit, and Anthony’s metal-covered hands are pressed to the weapon.

“The doom bots have spear thingies now,” Anthony says, because when did he ever listen to Loki’s advice? “I fell on one.”

“Oh, did you?” Loki drawls, then places a hand on Anthony’s shoulder. “Please don’t retch onto my boots.”

“Why would I -”

Loki teleports them into the tower, and thankfully Anthony does not retch onto anything. He does look a little pale, but that could also be because of the hole in his side.

Loki trusts that JARVIS will tell the others where there are and takes out his ear piece, then turns to Anthony again. “Get out of the suit, please.”

“Can’t open with that thing still in me,” Anthony replies between ragged breaths. “I think I’ll just die in here.”

Loki looks down at him for a second, then tells himself that panicking is _not_ the solution. “You are not going to die, Stark,” he says and leans down to help Anthony up. “Now get on your feet or I _swear_ I will make you regret it.”

“Geez, you know how to make a guy feel safe in his own home,” Anthony grits out, but doesn’t protest as Loki lifts him up. “Couldn’t you be a bit more - _jesus -_ ”

Loki inspects the to blade he just pulled out of Anthony’s body for a second, then carelessly tosses it away. “No, I cannot,” Loki says and wraps his arm around Anthony as soon as the suit opens and he stumbles out of it. “Also, we are not technically in your home. This is my floor.”

“Details, details,” Anthony gasps. 

He lets Loki drag him to the sofa and all but collapses down on it. Loki doesn’t waste any more time; he just falls on his knees next to Anthony and pushes up the shirt of his undersuit, fingers seeking out the wound.

“This may hurt,” Loki warns absently, then lets his magic rush through Anthony’s body.

The bleeding stops after just a second, and Loki watches warily as the wound stitches itself back together. Anthony’s breathing evens out after a moment. He cranes his neck to stare at the green sparks over his skin, but eventually he just lets his head fall back again.

“Better?” Loki asks.

Anthony grunts. “Yeah, but - still hurts?”

“I am no healer, and I don’t know much about human anatomy. I just gave it a chance to heal on its own, properly.”

“Oh,” Anthony says. “Yeah, okay. Good, that’s good. Thanks. I’ll see Bruce later.”

Loki hums his agreement and stays where he is while Anthony catches his breath. Anthony lying on Loki’s sofa is not an unusual sight anymore; since that one morning they spent quite some time together. It’s not something Loki is used to, spending time with someone just to - well, just to spend time with them. But that is exactly what they have been doing, what Anthony seems to want, and Loki is more than fine with it. He lets Anthony initiate their meetings most of the time, but he is fine with that, too, because it means that he doesn’t have to ponder about how to best approach Anthony himself. Loki has never been good at this sort of thing.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” Anthony says, looking at Loki out of rather bleary eyes now. No wonder, he’s probably exhausted. Magic would do that to a human body. “I would’ve been fine.”

“Of course,” Loki says dryly. He decides to let it go, mostly because he doesn’t want Anthony to ask _why_ Loki did this. “What about Doom, JARVIS?”

 _“The situation is under control, Mr. Liesmith,”_ the AI answers dutifully. _“But it will take a while until Dr. Banner will be available.”_

“Yeah, right.” Anthony groans a bit as he sits up, inspecting the wound at his side with raised brows. “What is this? Magical stitches?”

“Yes, something like that.”

“Huh. There’s still blood.”

“Indeed there is.”

“It’s disgusting. Can you make it go poof?”

Loki pointedly ignores the wording. “I could. You could also take a shower like all other mortal beings are forced to, though.”

“That’s mean, Loki,” Anthony complains, but he does use Loki’s shower not much later.

Loki helps him get to the bathroom, but he does not help Anthony to get out of his clothes. There is only so much a god can endure on a sunny Tuesday afternoon.

**5**

When Loki enters his bathroom, he briefly thinks that he is hallucinating. He just got out of bed, so maybe he’s still dreaming. Then again, the image doesn’t waver, not even after staring at it for several long seconds.

Loki blinks very slowly, then approaches his shower. He does not know why Anthony is curled up on the floor of Loki’s shower, let alone why Anthony seems to be _asleep_ on the floor of Loki’s shower. Thankfully, the shower is big enough that Anthony can apparently lie there comfortably - it’s a luxurious thing that Loki has appreciated many times, but he never used it to sleep in it before.

He opens the shower door as quietly as he can and crouches next to Anthony, who is indeed asleep.

“Anthony?” Loki asks, then reaches out when there is no reaction. He carefully nudges Anthony’s shoulder. “Anthony.”

Anthony stirs, and it takes only a moment until he lifts his hand and reluctantly blinks open his eyes. His gaze is unfocused for a moment before it finds Loki, then his eyes narrow in confusion.

“Lo? What -” He is interrupted by a yawn.

“Good morning,” Loki says. “Not that I mind, but may I ask why you are here?”

Anthony sits up, suddenly a lot more awake. He looks around and, as he realizes where he is, exactly, blushes just a little. What a curious sight; Loki thinks he hasn’t ever seen the human blush before.

“Oh,” Anthony says. “Uh. Hi.”

“Hello,” Loki says. He would smile, maybe, if he wasn’t so concerned. “Are you alright?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I - uh. I’m not really - god, I’m sorry. Did I really fucking sleep here?”

“It certainly seems like it,” Loki says. 

“Oh god.” Anthony rubs a hand over his face. “I - I do that sometimes. I mean, I work until I can’t anymore because bodies need sleep eventually, you know, and then I walk somewhere where I’m comfortable and pass out, I just - I wasn’t thinking. I -”

“Stop rambling,” Loki says. “It’s alright. Are you hungry?”

Anthony takes a breath, then nods. “Yeah, I am, actually. But you don’t have to -”

“I want to,” Loki interrupts him, then stands up. “Feel free to shower first. You smell like oil.”

Anthony chuckles, and Loki is already about to leave the room when Anthony says, “Well, feel free to join me.”

Loki does not quite flee the room, but it’s a close thing.

**+1**

_I walk somewhere where I’m comfortable._

That’s the sentence that plays over and over in Loki’s head for the next five minutes. He doesn’t even make it to the kitchen. No, he paces in the hallway, not far from the bathroom door that Anthony is once again behind of, and tries to gather up enough courage to do - well, _something._ Anything. He could just go and make breakfast; Anthony would doubtlessly pretend that Loki didn’t just reject him _again,_ he’d be thankful for coffee and unburned eggs and give Loki the chance to just… be with him. That is what Anthony has been doing this entire time, ever since they first had breakfast together. He’s much more considerate and patient than he lets people see, but apart from that he also - well, at least Loki _thinks_ that Anthony also enjoys the time they spend together, very much. Because Anthony only does the things he wants to do, which leads Loki to the inevitable conclusion that _Anthony_ wants to be with _Loki,_ too.

And if that’s true, which Loki believes it is, he cannot just pretend that this is all they both want. It’s so clear that they want more; it’s been clear from the day Loki involuntarily joined the Avengers and Anthony smiled at him, fascination evident in his eyes. It’s only been getting clearer since Anthony stepped into Loki’s shower for the first time.

So, does it really matter that Anthony is a human, that he’s an Avenger? No, because Loki doesn’t _want_ it to matter, not anymore. And if Anthony wants to be with Loki, if he wants to laze around on the sofa and do experiments in his workshop with Loki, if he _also_ wants to shower with him and end up in bed - who is Loki to deny him? Or to deny himself; Loki has been done with denying himself anything ever since he fell from the bridge.

So there is only one thing he can do, really.

He makes his way back to the bathroom and quietly opens the door. When he slips into the room, his eyes are already fixed on Anthony’s form behind the glass wall. He is not singing now, but still - the sight of him is enough to ban even the thought of nervousness from Loki’s mind, at least for a few seconds. At least for just how long Loki needs. 

He stops the flow of the water with a thought and a bit of magic, and watches for a moment as Anthony frowns at the faucet. It’s quite a funny picture, but Loki didn’t come here to play games. Well, not this sort of games, at least.

“Does your offer still stand?”

Anthony startles, but as soon as he sees Loki he stills. Loki can’t see his expression through the glass, not properly, so he takes a few steps toward the shower. At the same time, Anthony slides open the shower door and yes, there he is. Loki stops walking, surprised by the look on Anthony’s face - he looks utterly stunned.

Loki swallows. “Well?”

Slowly, Anthony’s lips curl into a smile. “Course it does. Hop in.”

Loki is sure that his relief shows on his face, but he finds that he doesn’t really care. Anthony can _know_ that Loki is relieved, that this is… important to him. That it means something. Loki smiles back and brings his hands up to his collar, starting to unbutton his shirt. He dressed in Midgardian clothes today, and now thinks that it comes in handy. Not as complicated to get rid of as leather and gold, but still there is _something_ to get rid of - something that Anthony can watch him take off.

And by the way Anthony stares at Loki’s fingers, following their tiniest movement, Loki can tell that Anthony enjoys watching.

Loki shrugs off his shirt and moves on to his pants, still smiling when Anthony’s eyes fly up to meet Loki’s again. Loki holds his gaze as he opens his belt and lowers his pants and underwear before he steps out of both. It’s not much of a show, Loki knows - oh, he could do better, really take his time, bare inch by inch of his skin and drive Anthony properly mad, but… But, this isn’t meant to be a show. This doesn’t have to be _better;_ it is already good enough. In fact, it’s already perfect.

When Loki _finally_ steps into the shower, Anthony meets him halfway. His hands on Loki’s chest, then one cupping the back of his neck, pulling him close. His eyes never leave Loki’s, not until Loki leans down a bit to kiss him.

It's a soft kiss, all things considered. It's _sweet._ Anthony's lips are warm and soft, still a little wet and _gods,_ they fit against Loki's perfectly. They just stay like that for a while, Loki's hands on Anthony's sides - careful, the wound is not entirely healed - and Anthony's fingers curling into Loki's hair. Both pressing closer. Loki isn't thinking about anything, he doesn't want to be thinking about anything except how _right_ this is, and that results into him losing control of the faucet.

The water all but pours down on them, and Anthony blindly reaches out to turn it down a little. He's laughing and it's the best sound Loki has ever heard, the best sound he will ever hear, and he can't help but grin back, as brightly as he can. Suddenly they are kissing again, and Loki does what he has been wanting to do for _months;_ he presses Anthony against the wet wall and keeps him there, caught between the tiles and Loki's body. Anthony reacts with a pleased sound, almost a moan, and that noise does _things_ to Loki - it's what he imagined so many times, only infinitely better. He feels Anthony's hands in his hair, on his shoulders and back, touching everything of him they can reach. Anthony's lips open for Loki's tongue as soon as he slides it against them for the first time, and as their kiss deepens and becomes just a little less soft, Loki comes to the conclusion that Anthony will _definitely_ be the death of him. Loki couldn't care less, though, not as long as Anthony's mouth feels so maddeningly good.

Sadly, they do have to break apart eventually, mostly just so that Anthony can take a few proper breaths. Loki spends the few seconds his lover needs kissing Anthony's neck instead, all but purring when Anthony lifts his chin and bares his throat for Loki's lips. Loki gladly accepts that offer; he's been dreaming about leaving a mark (or two or five) on Anthony's skin for far too long to resist.

“Ah, fuck,” Anthony gasps, laughing breathlessly. “What took us so long, huh?”

Loki lifts his head again, grinning. He trails his thumb over the red patch of skin he's been mouthing at and leans in to kiss Anthony again, murmuring against his lips, “Does that matter right now?”

Immediately, Anthony shakes his head and tilts his chin up to kiss Loki properly, a wish Loki is very happy to grant. He also lets his hands wander down Anthony's sides, careful to avoid the wound, and enjoys how Anthony shivers beneath his hands and presses into Loki's touch. As if he can't get enough of it.

Loki can feel how hard Anthony is, and it's all too easy to reach down and wrap his hand around Anthony's cock. Loki ignores his own arousal for the time being, too absorbed in Anthony's reaction to the touch. He curses beneath his breath, lips forming a much more thoughtless version of the grin Loki adores so much. It makes Loki smile and trail kisses along Anthony's jaw while working him with slow strokes and drinking up the sounds Anthony makes. 

Gods, he even says Loki's name. It tumbles off his lips between moans and whimpers he doesn't quite manage to hold in. Upon hearing _that_ Loki can't do anything but claim Anthony's mouth again, even though that keeps them both from saying anything at all.

Their kiss is messy, this time. Absolutely artless, just panting into each other's mouths and teeth and tongue clashing, and it's the best thing Loki can only imagine. It's beaten only barely by how he feels approximately five second in, when Anthony reaches down, fingers blindlessly fumbling around until they find Loki's cock. And this time, it's Loki who has to break the kiss and _whines,_ because that feels just heavenly.

Anthony mutters something that Loki doesn't quite understand, too distracted by the way Anthony shifts and squirms until he can press their cocks together and stroke them both at once, which - yes, even better. Loki puts his hand on Anthony's, quickens the strokes, and Anthony shudders all over.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck -” The curses sound like they are pulled from Anthony's throat, his voice high-pitched and on the verge of breaking. _“Loki-”_

Loki might be muttering something, too; he isn't quite sure of it. He definitely agrees with the sentiment, though. He also realizes that Anthony is getting close, can tell by the sound of his whimpers, the jerky movements of his hips. And the thought of that, the _knowledge_ that Anthony is falling apart under _Loki's_ touch - catches Loki by surprise, almost. He's surprised how much he craves it, how much he loves it, but then again, it might not be that surprising at all.

Anthony comes first, Loki's name on his lips, and exactly that is what drives Loki over the edge as well. It's not the most forceful orgasm Loki had ever had - actually, it's the moment _after_ that hits him. When he presses his lips to Anthony's neck, buries his face in his shoulder and breathes him in. He doesn't smell like oil anymore. Loki can feel Anthony's chest rising and falling as his breathing slowly evens out; he can even hear Anthony's heartbeat when he concentrates. Anthony's fingers wander over Loki's back, slowly and aimlessly, not because they want anything from him - they just enjoy touching him, that's all. And it's nice, it helps Loki catch his breath himself, to realize that, yes, this really _is_ happening.

He didn't think it would be like this. Every time he thought about this, he imagined shoving Anthony against the wall and pounding into him from behind, or getting on his knees and teasing Anthony until he begged Loki to let him come. This isn't like that. It feels much… softer. A little fragile. Like stumbling into a shower that's not your own in the middle of the night, just because you feel safe there.

“Loki?” Anthony murmurs after a long moment, his voice barely audible over the sound of the water still softly raining down on them.

“Hmm.”

“That was nice.”

Loki snorts and kisses Anthony's shoulder before he lifts his head again. “Yes, quite.”

Anthony gives him a slightly drowsy grin. “Next time, you'll fuck me into the wall. Yeah?”

Loki chuckles. “Gladly,” he whispers and kisses Anthony again, very softly this time. Then he looks at Anthony, looks at him properly, and realizes that he looks _happy_. Also somewhat exhausted, though. “You're tired.”

Anthony hums and leans his head against the wall. “Mh, yeah. Kinda slept in a shower tonight, after hours of working. Can't recommend.”

“No?” Loki reaches for the faucet to turn up the water again. He makes it a little hotter than he'd prefer himself, but the pleased sound Anthony makes in reaction is worth it.

“Need a nap,” Anthony declares, doing absolutely nothing to help as Loki starts to wash them both.

“Would my bed suffice?”

Anthony looks at Loki, smiling widely. “Your bed would be _perfect.”_

Anthony falls asleep quickly, but Loki stakes awake for quite some time. Anthony snores quietly, but Loki finds that he doesn't mind. He can't, really, not when he's so comfortable with Anthony tucked against his side, their limbs so entangled that they will have trouble disentangling them in a few hours.

Loki is making lists again. Just one, to be precise: Pros and cons of having Anthony Edward Stark in Loki's bed.

The cons: None, except maybe the snoring.

The pros: Well, how much time do you have?

**Author's Note:**

> The song Tony sings on the phone is "Oh What A Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma! And I think we all know the song he sings in the shower, but in case someone doesn't: "Toxic" by Britney Spears.
> 
> You can find the art on tumblr [here](https://rabentochter.tumblr.com/post/190255163374/showered-with-affection-a-collab-with)!


End file.
